"Guess we're going to have our work cut out for us with this Snake Oil stuff," Christina said. She offered me a tentative smile as we walked out of my father's building and headed for the portal to return to Splendor.
"I'd say so," Quill said, his tone of voice sounding somewhat reserved as he glanced at me for the third time since leaving Melchior's office. Knowing Quill as well as I did, I would have bet money that he was fretting over how I was taking everything that had just happened. He had to know I was reeling at the moment, anger and shock churning in my stomach.
Somehow, I imagined my father had to have been getting perverse pleasure out of being able to bend me to his will just like that. Well, he could think whatever the hell he wanted to think, but we were definitely not "like father, like daughter." No, I was now even more determined than before to find a way out of this and what was more, I was arriving at the realization that the only way out of this mess was in going after the mastermind, himself.
"Are you headed to Splendor?" Christina asked Quill, interrupting my train of thought. We'd arrived in the parking lot of the ANC Headquarters. Apparently, this time the portal was at the far end of the parking lot, just beside the dumpsters.
I couldn't help but notice Christina was avoiding me, probably sensing my temper was about to blow. I tried to at least partially mask my foul mood, not wanting Christina to suspect I was less than thrilled to be a player in this team. Why? Well, first and foremost—I had to think of Knight. And I also didn't think it would be a good thing for Christina to know I was only working for my father because I had to. Yep, better to keep that under wraps. The less my father's people knew about me, the better.
"Yes, both Dulcie and I are headed to Splendor. You?" Quill responded.
Christina nodded and the sound of her heels tapping against the concrete grabbed my attention. I glanced down and noticed she had tattoos of purple and green hummingbirds on the tops of both of her feet. It made sense—fairies were supposed to be the "children of nature," and most of us were naturally attracted to flora and fauna, hummingbirds always a fairy favorite. I guess I'd just missed the boat where all things nature were concerned.
"I live in Sanctity, but given recent events, I think I might stay in Splendor for a while so we can discuss a plan moving forward," she answered as she pulled her incredibly long hair into a ponytail, offering me a glimpse of her ears. As fairies, Christina's and my ears came to points at the top. Hers, by the look of them, however, weren't as pointy as mine. Something which made my mood even better.
Scolding myself for comparing ears (and even more irritated that mine came up short), I forced my thoughts back to her last comment, something suddenly occurring to me. "You live in Sanctity?" I asked, turning to face her. Sanctity was the next town over from Splendor, maybe twenty or thirty minutes away.
Christina smiled sweetly, merely nodding. Quill stopped walking and checked his portal compass watch, I assume, to ensure that we were still going the right way. Apparently, we were because he proceeded forward again, Christina and I in tow.
"I've never seen you before," I said finally, pulling my attention from Quill and narrowing my eyes at her. "And I'm pretty sure the ANC records only itemize Zara, the hooker, and I as the sum total of the local fairy population." All Netherworld creatures that lived on Earth had dossiers in the ANC which specified the type of creature they were, how they earned a living and where they lived. It was the easiest way to keep track of them. And I wasn't bluffing—Christina didn't exist in the ANC database, as far as I knew. I definitely would have remembered another fairy living nearby.
She eyed me with surprise. "Ah, that's right! Your father mentioned that a member of his entourage worked in the Splendor ANC. That must be you." Her smile broadened. "Very smart of him, placing his own people in the enemy's lair." Then she laughed. All I managed was a half-assed laugh-giggle that came out more like a grunt, but sounded worse still, like a burp.
"Yeah, smart," I managed, wanting to direct her to the question at hand. I raised my brows at her in impatience when it didn't seem she had anything more to offer. “So you managed to avoid ANC profiling?”
She simply smiled again. “I, um, stay beneath the ANC radar,” she said simply.
“Interesting,” I admitted, studying her pointedly. “And why is that?”
The look she gave me combined with the smile that was still on her lips told me she was hiding something. Something big. And that’s when I zeroed in on her little game. She was tough, strong and smart. But she didn’t want anyone to know that. She exploited her beauty and femininity in a way that got men to doubt her, finding her nothing more than a pretty face. Well, unluckily for her, I didn’t possess a penis. And since my father had deliberately placed her on this task force, I assumed he saw through her game as well. That or maybe he was enamored of her, which, come to think of it, could very well have been the case. Either way, she was someone I had to watch.
“One of the benefits of knowing your father,” she finished simply.
I said nothing more but just nodded.
“Should we regroup in a few hours?” Quill asked, eyeing us both, although his eyes rested on me.
I looked down at my newly acquired compass watch and noticed it was nearly five a.m. Yep, another night without any sleep. Great, just great. “I can’t,” I said, rubbing my eyes, wondering when I was going to get a decent night of sleep. “I’m due at the ANC in three hours.”
“Ah, I forgot,” Quill admitted before smiling apologetically. “Let’s resume discussions later. I’ll call you both tonight.”
I just nodded as Christina whipped her cell phone out to exchange numbers with Quill. All I could think about was getting home and crawling into bed so I could at least get two hours of shuteye before I was due in the office.
###
I was thirty minutes late when I arrived at the ANC. After parking as quickly as I could, I pulled my helmet off, and cradling it beneath my arm, hurried up the ramp to the double doors. I'd overslept … as in right through my bedside alarm, one which rang shrilly. Yep, I was that tired.
Stepping through the double doors, I waved to Elsie before hightailing it down the hallway, pausing to say hello to Sam on the way. When I reached my desk, I noticed Trey was already at his. 'Course that really wasn't much of a surprise because Trey was always at least a half an hour early every day. He considered work a social outlet.
"Hey, Dulce," he said, looking up at me from where he'd been picking at his cuticles.
"Morning, Trey," I replied, remembering I hadn't gotten back to him about the Star Wars Convention. "Oh, about that convention …" I started.
He glanced up at me, his eyes wide. "Yeah?"
I cleared my throat, feeling like the queen of all assholes. "I don't think I'll be able to make it."
"Oh," he said, dropping his gaze to his ample lap.
"I just have so much going on right now, Trey," I continued, feeling like I needed to make him understand. "I really wanted to go though."
"Nah, it's cool," he said with a disenchanted smile. "There’s always others."
"Okay," I said, hoping I sounded sincere although the truth of the matter was that spending a day with Storm Troopers, R2D2 and Ewoks wasn't my idea of fun. "Thanks for the invite though."
He nodded and seemed a little dejected as he focused on the cuticle of his left thumb. Apparently recalling something, he glanced up at me again. "Big guy was looking for you earlier," he said with a whisper of a smile. "And just a warning, don't piss him off 'cause he's not in a good mood."
"Great," I said, not ready to deal with Knight and his foul mood. I dropped my helmet on the table and left my backpack on my chair as I started toward Knight's office.
"Hey, Dulce," Trey called out behind me.
I turned around to face him. "Yeah?"
"Everything good with you?" he asked, studying me carefully, as if looking for a clue in my posture.
I felt my stomach drop as I realized I
had to do a better job of appearing normal, as in not stressed out. The last thing I needed was everyone getting concerned about me. At the thought, I was suddenly consumed with exhaustion. This double life was getting to be too much, taking too large a toll on me. I needed to tell Quill that I had to have a night off so I could catch up on my sleep. "Yeah, I'm fine, Trey," I said softly. "Just been really busy."
"Okay," Trey said and smiled at me encouragingly. "Just wanted to check on you."
I didn't say anything more, but turned around again and started for Knight's office. When I reached it, I noticed the door was closed. I could see him reclining in his chair with his long legs up on his desk as he chastised someone over the phone. He spied me through the slats of his blinds and motioned for me to enter. I opened the door and walked in, sitting down in the chair directly in front of him.
At the sight of him, I felt my stomach tighten into a knot, which worked its way up my esophagus and into my throat until I almost couldn't breathe. Hot Hades, he was just so gorgeous. I wasn't sure where my libido had been the last few days, probably hibernating given recent events, but facing Knight now, it was back in full force. I couldn't seem to take my eyes off his incredibly broad shoulders, or the shapely swells of his muscular thighs.
"I don't give a shit, just make it happen," he said into the phone, his tone heightened. I tried not to gulp too loudly as my gaze worked its way up his remarkable body to his even more incredible face. His eyes were on me, sharp and hungry. Or maybe I was just imagining that last bit.
"I don't care what it takes," he said in a steely firm voice, letting his legs slide off the top of his desk. They were loud when they hit the floor. He leaned forward, resting on his elbows, never taking his eyes from mine. "I want those sons of bitches tried in our system, not theirs." Then he shook his head and scrunched his brows together, in obvious irritation. "Just do it and don't call me back until you have good news. I have to go, I have someone in my office." He was quiet for a few more seconds. "Call me tomorrow," he said before hanging up.
"You wanted to see me?" I piped up, my voice sounding antsy and rushed.
"You're late," he said with an undisguised frown.
I dropped my eyes to the carpet and started fidgeting with the zipper on my jacket, only then realizing it was damn hot in Knight's office. I took off the jacket, fully aware that Knight's eyes were glued on me the entire time. If anything, it just made my body temperature increase. I had to remind myself that I was Dulcie O'Neil and therefore, shouldn't be nervous and definitely shouldn't be fidgeting. I faced Knight with a renewed sense of self and held my jaw tight. "I overslept."
"I see," he said, narrowing his eyes, apparently dissatisfied with my attitude. "Don't be late again. Consider this warning number one."
I gave him a replica of the pissed off expression he was giving me. "Noted."
He glared at me for another few seconds before exhaling and quickly dropping it. "I want you to compile all the bios of every known potions trafficker through Splendor, Haven, Sanctity, Estuary and Moon," he ordered as I felt anxiety working up my spine.
What in the hell would have prompted him to request this information? "Why? I mean, what do you need it for?"
He sighed and sounded exasperated, like he didn't want any questions. Well, too bad for him because I was anything but a yes-man, er yes-woman. "We received a tip this morning that a new street potion will be hitting the black market soon and I want to cover all my bases."
I think my heart actually stopped for at least two seconds. Maybe more. "A ... a what?" I asked, in a whisper soft voice.
"A tip," he said, shaking his head like he couldn't understand why was I asking so many questions.
"From whom?" I persisted, hoping the rapid pulse in my neck wouldn’t give away my worry that I was about to piss myself.
"Anonymous," he answered, eyeing me inquisitively, and picking up a pencil that had been lying on his desk. He started drumming the eraser end against his desk, making a sound almost as maddening as nails on a chalkboard. "Where were you last night?"
I felt my cheeks color and dropped my gaze to the floor before forcing my eyes back to his. I just sucked at lying. "Why?"
He shrugged like it wasn't a big deal. "Got the tip last night. I called you and came by, but you weren't around."
I gulped air, hoping he couldn't read me as I wished I could lie more convincingly. "I, uh, had plans."
His eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened. "I see." Then he stood up and started for his door, opening it extra wide as if to let me know he was finished interrogating me. "I need those bios by lunch," he said sternly as I stood up and started for the door.
"I understand," I answered simply.
"Trey and I are going to run some reconnaissance later today. That's why I need the bios before lunch."
And the only reason he'd mentioned that was because he wanted to make sure I knew he'd asked Trey along for this mission, instead of me. I said nothing although I was burning inside. Knight was more than aware that paperwork wasn't my forte and, more so, that I hated it. It was something Elsie usually did or if she weren't around, Trey. But I held my head high, refusing to give in to him. Instead, I faced him squarely. "I'll have them to you by lunchtime."
Knight said nothing, but stared at me as if trying to read me. Uncomfortable with his scrutiny, I returned to my desk.
Eleven
As I sat at my desk, pouring through the profile pages of miscreants in Splendor and neighboring cities, I couldn't stifle the trepidation winding its way up my gut. Ever since Knight had admitted to receiving an anonymous tip about what could only have been the Draoidheil, I felt like I was going to throw up or, failing that, have a young-life crisis. I couldn't understand who could've leaked the information so quickly. I thought maybe Melchior had already informed his traffickers that the Draoidheil was on its way, and in their excitement, word got out. But it was how word got out that had me the most concerned. Obviously, I hadn't mentioned it to anyone and I assumed Quillan hadn't either. Christina seemed like she was currently Melchior's favorite pet, so I was fairly certain she was innocent of blabbing. But if it weren’t any of us, then who had it been?
Knight and the ANC were now aware the Draoidheil was on its way, which only created an added complication. It was also something I hadn't expected that would only make it harder for Quill, Christina and I to distribute it. I'd have to remember to inform them about this new obstacle as soon as we saw each other again. The more I thought about it, the more irritated I became. It just would have been so much easier if the ANC hadn't found out, because now the three of us would have to plan a way around this and be extra careful. But first things first, I needed to find out how much Knight knew ...
'Course, currently I was stuck doing the mindless gofer job that Knight assigned me, so that's what I'd focus on. I glanced at the clock on the wall next to me, noting I had one hour left before lunchtime. I'd already located and printed the bios of traffickers from Splendor, Moon, and Sanctity. All I had left were Estuary and Haven and I could have those done in twenty minutes, tops.
"How's it goin' over there, Dulce?" Trey asked as he looked over the top of his monitor at me, his wide face reminding me of the moon rising into the sky.
"Good, I'm nearly done," I answered, offering him a quick smile before returning my attention to the twelve or so bios left to do.
"Quick work," he said as he hovered over his monitor, obviously not realizing I was on a deadline. I looked up at him and nodded, noticing he still made no move to sit down again. Instead, he continued standing there, wearing the expression of a kid too ashamed to admit he'd just wet himself.
"Yep," I said, clicking "print" on the next bio. Then imagining I might be able to get some info out of Trey, I asked, "So what was this anonymous tip Knight was talking about?"
Trey shrugged and dropped his eyes back to his computer, sitting down immediately. Obviously, he knew something but even more obvious was the fact th
at he wasn’t about to spill the beans. "Not really sure. He said he'd fill me in while we were patrolling." Clearly, he'd been ordered to keep his trap shut. Well, lucky for me, I was really good at prying traps open.
"Oh, I thought you might know, since you're always on top of the best gossip." Usually, he'd leap at the opportunity to fill me in on any news around the office—it seemed like he was proud that everyone came to him first for the juicy details.
"Oh, yeah, not this time. It's pretty hush-hush I guess." Then he was quiet for a few seconds. Hmm, this might be harder than I thought.
"Wow, so you don't even know about it? That is hush-hush."
"Yep," he answered succinctly and I gave up.
"I'm sure you and Knight will figure things out." I didn't meant to sound so pissed off—like I was upset Knight had left me out of the loop. Well, truth be told, I was pissed off because I guessed the only reason Knight had failed to inform me was because he was angry I'd broken up with him. Another reason why it was never good to mix business with pleasure.